U16s Face City Test

Colchester United's U16s will take on their Manchester City counterparts in our latest showpiece game at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

In recent years, our U16s Academy players have faced Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at the stadium and this time it is the turn of City's future stars to visit the U's home venue.

The match will take place on Wednesday April 19th in a 7pm kick-off and Director of Football Tony Humes believes the Premier League side's visit is evidence of the high regard in which the U's efforts at Academy level are held.

"We are delighted to be welcoming Manchester City to the stadium and it will be a good test for our young players," Tony said.

"Our Academy programme is becoming increasingly well regarded across the country and our desire to bring through top young talent is admired by clubs not only at Category Two level, but also within Category One clubs.

"The players that we are bringing through are now attracting real attention from those clubs at the highest level and we have recently received but turned down monetary offers for our young players from Premier League and Championship clubs with Category One set-ups.

"That is testament to what we're doing here at the club and bodes well for the future of our Academy programme."

The 2016/17 season has been a successful one for the young players at Colchester United, with 183 first team appearances from Academy graduates as part of the club's promotion push in League Two, along with the U23s run to the Quarter Finals in the Premier League Cup.

"We are seeing the fruits of our labour in the senior squad and the U23s this season, and there is a lot of hard work going in at all levels of the Academy," Tony added.

"There is some real quality coming through the age groups now and it isbenefiting John and the first team as they look to gain promotion in the remaining games this season."

Back The Boys - For A Whole Year!

to find out more.Click here If you want to get right behind the U's, you can buy an Annual Subscription at any time and come to every home game (first team and U23s) for a full year.